Chapter 484: Walking the Jianghu

Walking the Jianghu is also a way to broaden one's horizons.

Being trapped in one place, one's vision is ultimately limited, and one will never know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is.

Just like this martial technique before me.

Li Yan does not know what this martial technique is called, but he has never seen one that can perfectly fuse illusion with martial arts.

Dharma lineages with long-standing traditions are indeed not to be underestimated.

If one makes a wrong judgment, it means death and the dissipation of one's Dao.

Although amazed, Li Yan is not afraid.

He retreats while holding his blade in his right hand, dodging the shadows of the spear, while his left hand grips the Divine Tiger Token, quickly whispering: "Nuo Gao, three stars on the left, three prisons on the right, heaven turns and earth flips, all nine paths are blocked, making you lose your mind... Decree!"

This is the North Emperor Body-Protection Curse.

As his cultivation increases, its power also grows.

This technique is also a type of curse, used to counter-curse enemies who attack with illusions, soul-bewitching, or other such arts.

It is equivalent to using an instantaneous burst of Gang Sha Qi to shake the enemy's soul, though in the past, his cultivation was insufficient, so he only used it to drive away fierce beasts and ghosts.

"Roar—!"

On the pier, everyone suddenly hears a tiger's roar.

This sound seems to reach directly into their souls, shaking their bodies, causing their pores to open and sweat to seep out.

Heaven turns and earth flips, all nine paths are blocked, making you lose your mind.

The North Emperor Body-Protection Curse only now reveals its true power.

The surrounding people are only affected by the ripples, while Wang Fu, who is at the center, bears the brunt of the curse.

Hum!

The dust stirred up by the gale suddenly shakes.

The several Dharma bodies within it also dissipate simultaneously.

Wang Fu's "Lotus Dala Dala Fa Shen" is broken; although he is not injured, his mind is shaken, and he forces himself to endure the discomfort, hurriedly retreating.

And Li Yan, having gained the upper hand, shows no mercy.

Swish!

The Soul-Severing Flying Hu Hu Dao Ren whistles toward him once more.

Wang Fu barely manages to lift his spear to deflect it.

However, Li Yan has already followed closely, his feet moving in the Mud-Wading Step, suddenly leaping up, the Dust-Severing Hu Hu Dao Ren cleaving like Mount Hua.

"The junior is bold!"

A surge of anger suddenly rises in Wang Fu's heart.

The saying goes, "power rises from the ground," and even Mystic Sect martial arts are the same. Leaping in a duel with one's feet off the ground is a major taboo.

To play this game against him in a duel is simply looking down on him.

The Yang Family Spear has his "Dazzling Flower-Dancing Spear," as well as the "Throat-Locking Spear that Gods and Ghosts Cannot Block," and the "Returning Horse Spear that Immortals Cannot Guard Against."

Likewise, these are his other two martial techniques.

If not for his soul being shaken and his breath unstable at this moment, he would definitely use a Soul-Locking Spear to pierce this brat to death.

Thinking of this, Wang Fu's heart stirs, and he blocks horizontally with his spear, planning to catch his breath first and stabilize his Qi.

This brat is arrogant; it is perfect to finish him with the Returning Horse Spear.

However, his calculation fails again.

Clang!

The moment the blade touches the spear shaft, not only do sparks fly, but electric light crackles, and then his brain feels dull again, his vision going black.

It is Yin Thunder!

Wang Fu is suddenly horrified.

How can this brat use Thunder techniques without even chanting a curse?

Not good, this blade is problematic!

He guessed the reason correctly, but everything is too late.

With his soul shaken by the Yin Thunder, Wang Fu is even more unlucky than before, and the scent of incense on his body actually begins to dissipate.

To be honest, at his age, although he has also reached the Hua Jin realm, fists fear the young and strong, and in terms of strength and endurance, he has already lost to Li Yan.

He only had the slight upper hand because he used Divine Possession.

Now that his Divine Possession martial technique is unstable and he has been attacked by Yin Thunder, his strength is greatly reduced, and the spear shaft almost slips from his hands.

How could Li Yan miss such an opportunity? He turns his body, grips the handle with both hands, and suddenly slashes upward.

"Don't even think about it!"

Wang Fu thinks he is going to use Yin Thunder again, and in his desperation, he bites his tongue to stimulate his mind to recover.

But this time, it is Yang Thunder.

Yang Thunder is fierce and strong; the electric arcs on the blade crackle, and the moment it collides with the spear shaft, it explodes.

Boom!

Thunder roars, and Wang Fu's long spear slips from his hands, tossed more than ten meters into the air.

Li Yan steps forward, as if shrinking the earth into an inch, while dragging his blade backhanded, slicing directly past Wang Fu.

Blood splatters, and a head flies up.

The twisted iron spear clatters to the ground.

The headless corpse also falls with a thud.

Li Yan does not even look, flicks his blade backhanded to shake off the blood, sheathes it, and says loudly: "Those who want Li's life, I am ready at any time!"

Having said that, he waves to the crowd.

The few people in the crowd suddenly feel a chill in their hearts, thinking Li Yan has discovered them.

However, another person walks out of the crowd; it is the inn waiter, leading Li Yan's clumsy donkey, with the luggage already packed.

"Li Li Shaoxia, your donkey."

The waiter's eyes are full of excitement, and sweat is beading on his forehead.

What he just saw, he will never forget in his life.

"Thanks."

Li Yan smiles slightly and tosses out two silver ingots, one large and one small, "The large one is for the inn, the small one is your tip."

"This..."

The waiter catches them, feeling somewhat at a loss.

And in the crowd, some Jianghu people also secretly praise him.

There is a trick to these two silver ingots.

If he only gave one ingot, no matter how much it was, it would be a problem.

The innkeeper might be greedy and not give it to the waiter.

Or perhaps he wouldn't give much, leaving the waiter dissatisfied.

Problems would eventually arise.

The waiter took a risk after all, so there shouldn't be any trouble left behind.

And by clarifying it in advance, the innkeeper cannot play any tricks.

It is easy to say one has a hard fist, but it is even rarer to know how to conduct oneself.

For a moment, no one pays attention to the dead Wang Fu...

As for Li Yan, he bows slightly to the surroundings, leads the cross-eyed clumsy donkey, and walks directly to the pier:

"Excuse me, is there a boat going to Yibin?"

There are still many passenger boats moored at the pier.

The boat captains saw the fight just now.

But upon hearing Li Yan's inquiry, they all lower their heads and remain silent.

They have heard of some things.

The person before them has a bounty on his head from the Wang Fu.

They don't even dare to think about this money.

And they are even less willing to invite trouble for the sake of a boat fare.

Li Yan doesn't care either, waiting quietly while leading the donkey.

The Wang Fu people also prepared a boat filled with explosives, so he might as well take advantage of today to destroy it as well.

But unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, there is still no response.

What he doesn't know is that the "Ghost Painted Face" has already abandoned this plan and taken people ahead to set an ambush.

"Is Li Li Shaoxia looking to take a boat?"

Just as he is puzzled, a shout comes from afar.

Li Yan looks up and sees a pleasure boat slowly sailing from upstream, and the gazes of others are also attracted.

This pleasure boat is extremely luxurious and high-profile.

The hull has smooth lines, painted vermilion, the bow slightly upturned, and the stern rosewood raised high, resembling city walls.

The cabin is a two-story structure with upturned eaves and corners, inlaid with glazed tiles, and the colors flow brilliantly in the sunlight.

The person speaking is an old man wearing a black headscarf and a cross-collared gown made of silk fabric, also gorgeously colored. As he speaks, the pleasure boat gets closer and closer to the pier.

Li Yan narrows his eyes, "I do want to go, but it's a pity."

"Oh?"

The old man in colorful clothes asks puzzled, "What's a pity?"

Li Yan replies, "It's a pity that your boat is too precious, and I am not a peaceful person; if I break the boat, that would be a great pity."

He originally thought that the ones responding were those people from the Wang Fu.

And the boat was that explosive boat.

But his supernatural investigation discovered something wrong.

Inside the cabin, there is a faint smell of blood, as well as the scent of a large amount of silk, gold, and silver valuables, and he hears faint moans.

Did they encounter bandits?

Li Yan is puzzled, but he doesn't ask.

He already has enough trouble; acting alone is more flexible, and if he encounters danger, he can use escape techniques to leave.

!.

Although he beheaded Wang Fu, it also made him alert.

The people who came to intercept him this time are all of the same level or even more formidable, with different traditions and unique arts.

One careless move, and he might capsize.

Therefore, even though the boat has approached, Li Yan still stands on the pier, not intending to board.

Seeing his demeanor, the old man in colorful clothes on the boat shows a flash of anxiety in his eyes, suddenly exerts force with his feet, and leaps onto the pier.

"Li Li Shaoxia."

He lowers his voice, with a hint of pleading, "Please board the boat to talk in detail; I have received some news that others are secretly trying to harm you."

Li Yan's pupils shrink, and he nods.

He has also discovered this matter.

There is another force desperately trying to build him up only to destroy him.

Even the plan of the Shu Prince's Mansion has been disrupted.

If he doesn't figure out the background of these people, it will always be trouble.

Seeing Li Yan agree, the old man's face immediately shows joy, and he hurriedly greets the staff to put down the gangplank, letting Li Yan lead the donkey onto the boat.

Subsequently, the pleasure boat gradually sails away from the shore.

Seeing the boat leave, the commoners on the pier also disperse one after another.

As for those few people from the Shu Prince's Mansion, they have long since disappeared...

…………

"Did you encounter water bandits?"

Just after entering the cabin, Li Yan frowns slightly.

The interior of the cabin is decorated even more luxuriously.

The floor is made of fine teak, smooth and delicate, water-resistant and fire-resistant, insect-proof and moisture-proof, very suitable for shipbuilding, but equally precious.

The furniture and beams inside are golden silk nanmu, and between the pillars and brackets, gilded relief wood carvings from Lingnan are used, with characters from stories like *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, *Investiture of the Gods*, and *The Western Chamber* appearing vivid and lifelike.

The curtains and drapes are also made of fine silk.

It can be said that this boat alone is worth a fortune.

Not only that, the cabin is also piled with wooden crates; although they haven't been opened, they are full of precious Shu brocade and gold and silver utensils.

But inside the cabin, many people are lying in disarray, almost all of them injured, some moaning, some already unconscious.

Several maids are taking care of them, their eyes full of confusion and fear.

Hearing Li Yan's inquiry, the old man on the side smiles bitterly: "Yes, and no. Li Li Shaoxia, please follow me; I will tell you the hidden circumstances."

Having said that, he leads Li Yan to the second floor.

The second floor is decorated even more luxuriously and is divided into two rooms, one a living room and the other a bedroom.

The bedroom door is closed, but Li Yan can smell that inside the canopy bed behind the door, a woman is lying, also injured and unconscious.

After the old man personally pours tea, he bows respectfully: "We are people of the Luo family from Yibin; I am Luo An, the butler of the mansion."

"The Luo family has been in the Shu brocade business for generations; in recent years, catching up with the opening of sea shipping, the price of Shu brocade has doubled, and we have accumulated some family assets, joining the Sichuan-Shu Chamber of Commerce..."

Li Yan takes a sip of tea, his expression unchanged: "Get to the point."

"Yes, yes."

The old man continues: "The Sichuan-Shu Chamber of Commerce had a conflict with the Salt Gang, causing trouble in Chongqing Prefecture, which displeased the imperial court, and both sides were punished."

"The others are easy to talk about, but my Luo family in Yibin has been suppressed openly and secretly, all by officials of the Shu Prince's faction."

"The Luo family planned to move to Chongqing Prefecture, so we closed shops everywhere, gathering strength and funds, but were robbed by people disguised as water bandits."

"The ones who did it are the Luo family's mortal enemies, the Du family of Luzhou, the largest wine merchants in Shu, who gathered a group of people to disguise themselves as water bandits and attacked us in the area of Deyang County."

"We fought to break through, but later the Du family's attack suddenly stopped; the mistress relied on her martial arts to investigate, only then knowing they stopped because they wanted to deal with Li Li Shaoxia."

"The Du family sent people to teahouses and taverns all over Shu to promote the Li Li Shaoxia's reputation; it is actually a strategy of building him up to destroy him."

"If nothing unexpected happens, there must be a follow-up!"

Li Yan narrows his eyes, "What follow-up?"

Old Butler Luo An's face is awkward, "This... I dare not hide it from the Li Li Shaoxia; I don't know either. The mistress only heard about this, and then she was beaten and injured."

Li Yan finally understands after hearing this.

This old man is purely a dog jumping over a wall in desperation; hearing some rumors and learning that he was in this area, he came to seek help.

Seeing Li Yan not responding, the old man hurriedly says: "Li Li Shaoxia, the enemy of an enemy is a friend. No matter why the Du family wants to harm you, they are enemies of my Luo family. As long as the mistress returns to Yibin, she will definitely not let them off!"

"That's true."

Li Yan says calmly: "But I have trouble now; if I follow you, it might even be more dangerous than before."

"Besides, I have other important matters and cannot escort you to Yibin."

"Li Li Shaoxia, don't worry!"

Hearing this, the old man is overjoyed, "The Luo family also has Jianghu friends; my mistress is a disciple of the Blood-Transmitted Jade Emperor Sect and has long since sent a letter for help. As long as we can hold out until Ziyang, reinforcements will arrive."

"That's fine."

Li Yan shakes his head: "If you are not afraid, then give me a ride."

From here to Ziyang is only a day's journey.

These people are at the end of their rope; following him gives them a glimmer of hope.

As they speak, the Wufeng Creek pier behind them can no longer be seen.

The pleasure boat sails through the water, its speed only average.

Li Yan sits cross-legged at the bow, forming seals with his hands.

With Lu San gone, he can only rely on himself to investigate the enemy situation.

The pier battle with Wang Fu can only be considered the beginning; the people from the Shu Prince's Mansion have roughly figured out his strength, and the subsequent attacks will surely be a storm.

Just at this moment, a soft female singing voice faintly reaches his ears.

"Spring light in Shu reflects on the green window, the embroiderer's hands are skillful, silk threads fly. Weaving flower clusters, painting cloud patterns, Shu brocade is famous. One needle and one thread, the feelings are long, thousands of threads and strands, the intentions are unforgettable. Working day and night, never idle, what flows between the fingers is the prime of life..."

Li Yan was originally too lazy to deal with the people on the boat.

But upon hearing this voice, he immediately frowns.

These lyrics are about the embroiderers in Shu.

According to Old Butler Luo An, the women on the boat are not maids, but the Luo family's most outstanding embroiderers, far more important than wealth.

Although the lyrics are a bit sentimental, the voice is very peaceful.

At a time like this, how can they still sing?

And it also interfered with his investigation.

Li Yan slowly opens his eyes and immediately discovers something wrong.

As the Dharma seal in his hand stops, the singing also disappears!

This is the sound of ghosts and gods.

Could there be a treasure on the boat?

Li Yan becomes interested and continues to use his supernatural powers.

Sure enough, the singing comes again.

He follows the singing and searches carefully on the boat.

Soon, he finds the target.

It is one of the wooden crates.

Beside the wooden crate, the clumsy donkey he brought, with one eye straight and one eye slanted, is licking the copper lock of the crate with its big tongue like a fool.

The singing is coming from the crate...

(End of chapter)